Almost Too Late
by Kat-of-the-Streets
Summary: *Season 5 Spoilers* What would have happened if Robert had returned from the regimental dinner 10 or fifteen minutes later? Oneshot.


AN: Reasons for why I wrote this story are at the bottom, because there are spoilers in it :)

Please let me know what you think! Thank you.

To those of you in US: Have a Happy Downton Day tomorrow!

Kat

P.S.: This maybe my last post for a short while. I am working on another story (of course I am :)), but I have to work quite a lot in the real world and the story I am working on is a multi-chapter pre-series AU that needs careful planning.

So don't worry if you don't see any updates from me for a week or two.

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><p>He has been feeling very uncomfortable all night long. He usually enjoys these regimental dinners, he is the Lord Lieutenant after all and it gives him the feeling of being at least marginally important. But Cora is at Downton and so is Simon Bricker and he can't stop the images in his head.<p>

Images of Cora and that art dealer. Laughing together. Flirting with each other. He hates that. Cora is supposed to flirt with him, she is supposed to laugh at his jokes, she is supposed to be in love with her husband not some godforsaken art dealer. And then it hits him. It is his fault. All of it. Because he hasn't given Cora any reason to smile at him or flirt with him or be in love with him for months. He has ignored her. She only ever started that thing, whatever it may be, because of how she was treated by her husband.

There is only one thing to do. He has to leave as soon as possible and go home. So he excuses himself, looks for Bates and then starts his return journey. He is fidgety all the way as he thinks about what to tell her. He can't make up his mind beyond wanting to tell her that he returned early to spend some time with her. And to make sure that she does not think that he did so to check what she was doing with Simon Bricker. She needs to know that he came home because and only because he wanted to be with her.

When he gets to the Abbey, Carson tells him that Cora went upstairs about half an hour ago. She often reads in bed when he is not with her, so he hopes that she is still awake and when he sees the light under her door, his heart skips a beat. He opens the door and says "Cora, I am so glad you are still," and then he feels as if his heart had stopped beating all together. Because what he sees is his worst nightmare come true. Cora is in bed and Simon Bricker is there with her and it is unmistakable what they are doing.

He makes to leave the room and call Murray and tell the man that he has to come to Downton the next day because he needs to set up the papers for the divorce. He won't send Cora away penniless, he loves her too much, but he can't stand watching what he is seeing. When he hears the noises she is making he thinks 'at least she doesn't whimper like a puppy looking for its mother when she is with me.' And then he realizes that Cora _is_ whimpering and that that is very uncharacteristic for her. He turns around as if in slow motion and when he realizes what is really going on, what Bricker is doing to Cora, how she is struggling, the world stops moving for a second and then begins to spin at a speed that should make him dizzy the next second, but all he can think about, all he can feel is unbelievable rage. So he grabs Bricker, pulls him off Cora and smashes his head into the wall. Once, twice, three times, he doesn't know how often and he only stops when he feels himself being pulled away.

"Robert," a male voice pants and when he turns around he sees Tom, sweating and out of breath. The boy must have tried to stop him for some time.

"If you knew what he wanted to do to Cora, you wouldn't have stopped me," he says to Tom but Tom shakes his head.

"I can guess what he did and I stopped you because scum like that does not deserve you being put on trial for murder." He sees his daughters in the door frame, looking as pale as ghosts.

"Bricker, come with me," Tom says in a voice he has never heard him use before. It sounds somehow Lord-like. Tom grabs Bricker's hands and threatens him with calling the police if he doesn't cooperate.

"Mama," Mary chokes out. But Cora who must have gotten up at some point shakes her head and squeezes both of their daughters' hands.

"Don't worry. Nothing happened. Your Papa was here on time." The girls leave, looking back over their shoulders and suddenly he is alone with his wife. In their bedroom.

"Thank you," she says and he answers "I'll sleep in my dressing room." She shakes her head and begins to cry.

"What?" he asks.

"Stay with me," she whispers. "Don't leave me alone. I am scared. I need your protection." The rawness in her voice, the tears that are rolling down her cheeks, the fear and the sorrow in her eyes tell him that she did not want any of this, that it was never her intention for Bricker to come into their bedroom, that she had no idea how far she had gone. And that what she has been through must have been hell. So he nods. "I'll get changed," he says.

"Don't ring for Bates," she begs and he knows what she means. So he holds out his hand to her, she takes it and he pulls her with him into his bedroom. She sits on his bed while he changes and doesn't say a word. He doesn't know what to say either but this silence is not as uncomfortable as he thought it would be. Once he is changed, he holds out his hand to her again and then leads her back into their bed. They sit next to each other, both leaning against the headboard and he wants to say something, so he says "Cora, I," but doesn't get any further because she begins to sob uncontrollably in that moment. There is only one thing he can do, so he pulls her close to him, holds her with both his arms against his chest and lets her cry. Eventually she chokes out an "It's my fault," and he strokes her back.

"It is not your fault my darling. You may have flirted with him a bit too much but he did not have the right to come in here and do that to you. Even had you invited him here he would not have had a right to force you. No one has that right."

She gives a dry chuckle at that. "Except for you. You'd have that right."

"And I'd never make use of it." He knows that Cora knows this but he also knows that she needed to hear him say it.

"I didn't invite him in here. I didn't," she says and looks at him imploringly.

"I know," he says and gives her a kiss on the forehead, something that lets more tears roll down her cheeks. She eventually falls asleep holding onto him and he doesn't let go of her because he wants her to feel safe. She asked for his protection and that is something he can give to her.

The next morning he rings for Baxter and Bates and once he is dressed, he walks back into her room. "I'll have breakfast with you today," she says and he nods. It's what he expected. She usually enjoys having breakfast on her own, reading until he comes in to talk to her before he starts his day but he had a feeling that today would be different.

He waits for her and when she takes his hand on their way to the dining room, he doesn't pull it away. He doesn't want to pull his hand away because he likes how walking hand in hand with her makes him feel.

They are the only ones in the dining room and he wonders if Edith and Tom decided to give them space. He should thank them for it. He tells Cora where he has to go in the morning and that he will be back for lunch but that she is more than welcome to accompany him, something that makes her smile a true smile at him. He only has to visit two farms that morning, both of them in walking distance, so he doesn't bother asking for the car. Instead he offers his wife his arm which she takes with a small smile.

They don't say much on their way to the first farm but he enjoys the air. It is the fresh, clean air of an autumn morning and it feels as if it was cleaning the air between Cora and him.

While they are on their way to the second farm, Cora stops them, looks into his eyes and says "Robert, thank you for last night."

"I have to defend my wife's honor, don't I?" he asks. There is a flicker of disappointment in her eyes and he then realizes what it must have sounded like to her. That he only did what he did because he did not want the woman he was married to tarnished. But that was the last thing on his mind when he almost killed Bricker and when he held Cora and let her cry.

"And I didn't want you hurt. You would not have deserved it. And afterwards," he looks at her and sees how fragile she still is.

"Cora, you asked for my protection. And I will always, always give that to you. No matter what happened, I will be there for you. We've spent too many happy years together for me to refuse being there for you." She nods with tears in her eyes.

"Will we be happy again?" He takes both her hands in his and holds them to his chest.

"I hope so," he says. He doesn't want to make any promises although he is almost sure that they will be happy again.

"I love you," she says and it drives tears into his eyes. "Very, very much." He leans his forehead against hers. He can't say it back, not in this moment, not after how she flirted with the art dealer, but he hopes that she knows that he loves her too.

They eventually start walking again and when they reach the second farm, a boy of around eight or nine years of age comes running towards them asks them if they want a kitten.

"What?" Cora asks in total confusion.

"Our cat has had little ones a few weeks ago. Would you like one?"

"Well, I'd certainly like to see them," Cora says and the boy who clearly has no idea who he is talking to says "Follow me then, ma'am," and walks towards the stable. Cora really does follow the boy. Once she walks into the farmhouse a little later, the tenant starts to apologize to her profusely, which she gently dismisses.

"He is proud of the kittens and wants to make sure they find a good home. He told me it was important that we always had at least one fire going and then asked me how many fireplaces there were in our house. I told him he could come and count them."´

He can't help himself but ask "So, are we getting a cat?" to which she replies "They are a bit too young to be taken from their mother. But Sybbie and George might like to see them."

The farmer invites them to bring Sybbie and George to see the kittens that same afternoon and he knows that Cora will not stop begging before he gives in to her and takes the children and her to see the kittens and so he just accepts the farmer's offer.

They have lunch with their children and afterwards take their grandchildren to see the kittens.

Cora becomes more cheerful with every hour of the day and he begins to hope that she will be able to cope with the whole ordeal rather well.

She tells him that she would like to lie down for a short while when they return home and without her having to ask, he joins her. While sleeping, he wraps himself around his wife and when he wakes up, his body reacts accordingly. He tries to gently disentangle himself from Cora, he is sure that this is the last thing she would like to do, but while he moves he wakes her and within in less than a minute, she knows what is going on. She smiles at him and begins to kiss and he half-heartedly tries to stop her, but her ministrations make it impossible for him to seriously try to end it.

He only realizes what he has done once he finds himself under the blanket, sharing a pillow with his wife, feeling her skin on his. Less than a day after she had almost been raped, he took her to bed. Although not against her will. It was her after all who took the lead after his body involuntarily reacted the way it usually reacts when he holds his wife very close to him. But he should have had better control over himself. He can't imagine it to have been very nice for his wife. She must have been reminded of the last night every second of it, he is almost sure she only did what she did to satisfy him, to reassure that she'd still let him sleep with her. Although he would never have doubted her desire for him, he would have more than understood had she wanted to wait a while.

"Cora, I am sorry," he says.

She looks up at him questioningly. "What for?" she asks.

"This. I should have controlled myself better."

"Why?" she asks and places a hand on his chest. "It was wonderful."

"But you must have thought of last night the whole time." He feels bad about this, despite her saying that it was wonderful.

"No. I didn't. This was something very different. You are not that man, you are my husband." It drives tears into his eyes.

"You must trust me very much."

"With my life Robert. There is nothing I wouldn't trust you with, my darling."

He smiles a faint smile at that.

"Cora, I have made so many mistakes, I" She rakes his chest now and he wishes she would never stop.

"Yes. You've made mistakes. And so have I. Show me a single person who can go on for three and a half decades without making a mistake. I think we both know which mistakes we've made and we both are sorry about them." He stares at her because he doesn't know what to say and she seems to sense his inner turmoil.

"Robert, I am sorry for having let Bricker into my private life. I really am. I should have stopped him. I shouldn't have gone to dinner with him and I certainly should not have allowed him to come back here. But I want you to know that I did not entertain any thoughts of letting him take your place in any way. I never wanted to be with him."

Now that she has said it, he realizes how stupid he has been. Of course she did not want Bricker to take his place. He looks at their intertwined hands and sees her engagement ring and wedding band. Rings that he put there, rings she'd never really take off, not in a metaphorical sense.

"I know that."

"Good." She smiles at him in a way that tells him that he need not go on. She does not need any further explanations or apologies. There is nothing left for him to tell her, except for one thing.

"I love you," he says and she smiles again and then kisses him.

"Let's leave the past where it belongs. In the past." It makes him chuckle. Although she is probably not aware of it, Cora sometimes sounds quite a bit like Mary.

"There are too many good memories in the past for that." He thinks that he now sounds quite a bit like Sybil.

"Then you should think only of the _past_ as its remembrance _gives_ you _pleasure_."

It makes him laugh out loud. If someone had told him 35 years ago that he'd recognize something his wife was quoting from Pride and Prejudice, that she'd be quoting it to him while they were in bed in the middle of the day with no clothes on, that that would happen after three and a half decades of marriage, he'd have been sure that person must have lost his marbles.

"I love you, so very much," he says and she buries her hands in his hair and kisses him in a way that makes him doubt very much that they will leave their bed before they have to get dressed for dinner.

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><p>I've always wondered whether Bricker would have backed off if Robert had not returned at the moment he did. I am not sure about it, I never know whether he was just a cad who wanted to get a Countess to go to bed with him, or whether he genuinely liked Cora. I've explored the second possibility in <em>The Love They Have<em> (the title refers to Robert and Cora, not Cora and Bricker :)) and so I've decided to explore the first possibility in this story.


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